Ten travel resolutions to follow in 2017

  DUBAI - The year 2017 brings in a fresh optimism, positivity and new destinations to travel to like Cuba and Mongolia. It’s the ideal time of the year to plan a travel calendar with plenty of exciting possibilities and destinations. Travel experts at HolidayMe.com share their tips on how you can make the most of your travel. Travel more responsibly. Travel the world with a deeper sense of obligation towards the local communities. Be sensitive to the local communities and ensure that you don’t harm the already fragile nature. Opt for homestays, camps and eco-lodges. You have seen enough five-star luxury hotels. Time to shun them in 2017 and opt for more eco-friendly lodges and homestays with the local communities. This will foster a greater understanding of the local culture, traditions and an understanding of the human relationships with the precious nature. Try out new cuisines and local food. Stop gorging on the readymade burgers and fries on your trips and instead focus of the local delicacies. Sample local culinary recipes and learn about the flavours, ingredients, vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs that are in used. Have food in local restaurants and homestays instead of dining at fancy establishments. Read a great deal about your destination. Knowledge is essential for a conscientious and yet very rewarding travel experiences. Read travel books and research vividly about your destinations before travelling to get a broader view of a country’s culture, customs, traditions, food, geography, politics, history, economics and its aspirations. It helps in striking conversations and feeling more connected while you travel. Shun the usual flashy and touristy destinations. Enough of London and Paris! Enough of Eiffel Tower and The Colosseum. Instead, visit the off-beaten and less treaded places like Mongolia, Cuba, Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Central Asia, etc. These countries are still in tourism infancy and lacks a striving tourism infrastructure. But that’s the charm. Imagine camping under the stars or having the entire white sand beaches for yourself. Add experiences of a lifetime to travel repertoire. Instead of partying wild in Ibiza or spending holidays in flashy islands of Greece opt for unmatched and sensational travel experiences. Go on a wildlife safari tour in Africa or Antarctica expedition or trek the famous Himalayan circuits of Nepal. Enjoy a Northern Lights Show, camp in a desert in UAE or enjoy a horse or camel expedition in the wilderness of Mongolia. There is so much more to do in the world apart from sipping cocktails in Venice or dining in Michelin starred restaurants in Paris! Improve your travel photography, videography and writing. The modern trend of social media pictures sharing, especially in travel and tourism has gone up to an altogether level. Therefore, learn a great deal about photography tricks, experiment with your writing styles, try time-lapse videography or simply invest in new gears like drone cameras and good DSLRs and digi-cams. Learn more about the earth’s fragile nature. The commercialization of natural resources has led to a precarious balance on our planet. Deforestation is wiping out the forest cover while the rising water level due to global warming is now threatening islands countries like Maldives into oblivion. This year, make a conscious effort to understand the working of our planet by taking more nature tours like hiking in the Amazon rainforest, shrinking marshlands, widening deserts and submerging islands. Join the local conservation efforts and contribute in preserving the world. Spend thoughtfully while travelling. Buy souvenirs and handicrafts directly from the local communities instead of swanky shopping malls and hotel galleries. Eat at a home-run local establishment instead of hotel restaurants and opt for activities that are run by the locals instead of the large scale commercial establishment. This will help the communities that are heavily dependent on tourism money for sustenance like Nepal and Mongolia. Stop animal centric tourism. Reject animal centric tourism programmes like selfies with tiger cubs, dolphin shows or elephant rides. The commercialization of such tourism activities has led to heart wrenching scenes in 2016 like illegal tiger breeding at a famous Tiger Sanctuary in Thailand. Shun such activities that cause unprecedented damage to wildlife and nature and ask your fellow travellers to do the same.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